Welcome back to this new episode of the format for anime lovers! The protagonist we will tell you about today has entered the collective cult imagination, achieving worldwide fame and success and revolutionizing the world of Japanese animation: the protagonist of this Anime Breakfast is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure!
The protagonist of the last episode was that masterpiece Attack On Titan, which has finally reached its worthy conclusion and which we absolutely recommend you catch up on. Today we’re still talking about our favorite anime, but talking about a completely different anime. What we’re going to talk about in this episode of Anime Breakfast is why Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, written by Hirohiko Araki, revolutionized the world of Japanese animation and why you should recover this anime that has become a cult. Let’s dance!
The structure of Jojo’s world | Anime Breakfast: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
A premise to make is that the way in which master Araki conceived Jojo’s world is one division into chapters. Each chapter has a protagonist and a different antagonist between one chapter and another and the first impression it gives to those who have never seen the anime or read the manga may make one think that the work is divided into small stories that are not connected to each other. The chapters are set in various historical eras and places very distant from each other, but the beauty of Jojo’s world is that each story of each chapter creates a long chain of events that brings out a macrostoria, a gigantic tale involving the history of humanity and the world. Let’s analyze Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure chapter by chapter.
Phantom Blood: The Beginning of an Epic | Anime Breakfast: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures
The reason we say Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure revolutionized Japanese animation is because Jojo is not a simple anime, but a mythological epic, with many different characters. Some begin and end their story in a single chapter, others become recurring characters throughout the story. This mythological tale begins with the friendship between Johnathan Joestar and Dio Brando. Johnathan is the son of a very rich nobleman and Dio is an orphan who is adopted by the Joestar family when he needed help. Dio Brando’s envy will ensure that Johnathan’s life is ruined. For a series of pains that God causes him (we don’t want to tell you what, it’s up to you to discover), between the two an eternal rivalry begins.
This rivalry initially seems to end at the end of the first part, with Johnathan managing to defeat Dio. However, the latter will return, becoming an immortal vampire through the use of an ancient mask with mystical powers. Having failed to defeat Johnathan, Dio vows revenge against the Joestar family, starting what will be a rivalry between good and evil that is passed down from generation to generation. After many years of the fight between the two, the story will continue with Johnathan’s grandson: Joseph Joestarone of the most recurring characters in the anime.
Battle Tendency: the prelude to the legend | Anime Breakfast: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Con Joseph Joestar things are starting to change, or rather, we are preparing for the change that we will see in the next part. Here Joseph Joestar will have to take the legacy of his grandfather Johnathan and prevent the Men of the Pillar, those who created the stone mask that made Dio Brando a vampire, to become even more powerful by eliminating their vulnerability to sunlight, in order to conquer the world. In this new adventure, Joseph will have the help of Caesar Zeppelinnephew of Baron Zeppelin, a fighter who helped Johnathan in the battle against God, which we saw in the first part.
Here it seems that the story simply continues with Johnathan’s descendant, continuing the story started in Phantom Blood, but without directly resuming those events. Battle Tendency in fact simply focuses on Joseph’s mission to stop the Pillar Men, to prevent them from dominating the world. A simple story with a likable protagonist with great charisma, who faces the villains of the moment to save the planet (even if one of the Pillar Men has great characterization). The part, however, ends with an aged Joseph who has succeeded in his intent and has built a family, suggesting that his story ended there with a happy ending.
Stardust Crusaders: The Turning Point | Anime Breakfast: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
We have arrived at the most important chapter of this great Iliad, the part that changed the fate of the anime and added something new. In Stardust Crusaders let’s get to know Jotaro Kujo, a very stoic young high school boy who lives a life like that of his peers, with the only difference being that Jotaro is tormented by what he initially thought was a ghost. That ghost, however, protected him from another high school student, named Kakyoin, with a “ghost” of his own. This ghost leads Jotaro to end up in prison, from which he escapes thanks to the help of his grandfather: Joseph Joestar, having reached the threshold of 60 years. This is where the story finally comes to a head. Joseph explains to his nephew that that entity that protects him is called Standan extension of one’s spiritual power, so to speak, and everyone has one, including Joseph himself.
Joseph then adds that the historical enemy of their family, Dio Brando, is back and seeks revenge against the Joestars. Jotaro and Joseph will thus begin a journey towards God’s lair, which is said to be located in Egypt. The two, however, will not be alone, accompanying them will in fact be a friend of Joseph’s, Avdul, with the stand of an anthropomorphic eagle. The third part of JoJo therefore takes the vibes of a road moviealong which other characters will be added to the three, that is Kakyoin, Polnareff and Iggy, a little dog with a Stand. The five will face various enemies, all of whom are Dio Brando’s henchmen. The characters are written so well, with a unique character and Stand, and such an intense chemistry is created between the protagonists that it is impossible not to become attached to them, thus managing to involve us in their insidious but wonderful journey that will reveal secrets about each one’s story of them.
Diamond is Unbreakable: l’universo si espande | Anime Breakfast: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
After the Joestar family’s trip to Egypt, the dynasty continues with the young high schooler Josuke Higashikata, illegitimate son of Joseph. Here the story focuses on the quiet town of Morio, where Josuke lives his life as an ordinary boy. His life will change completely when Jotaro arrives in town to warn Josuke of the threat posed by the Bow and Arrow, ancient artifacts capable of awakening people’s Stands. In fact, chaos begins to break out in the town due to some characters who awaken their Stands and use their powers illegally. The villain of the story changes again, this time we have Yoshikage Kiraa simple man with a mediocre life, who actually has a wonderful passion: kill. In fact, Kira is a serial killer who has never been caught due to her ability to be mistaken for a harmless citizen.
The most interesting thing about Diamond is Unbreakable is that here we have three protagonists of three generations: Josuke, Jotaro and Joseph and the relationship between these three characters is the strong point of the fourth part. Joseph is now on the threshold of 80 years old, he is a tired old man, with a low attention span and defenseless. Josuke is shocked to discover his father’s identity, considering that he was born from a casual relationship between Joseph and his mother, thus betraying his wife Suzi Q. Jotaro, although he agrees that Joseph made a serious mistake, still tries to convince Josuke that he is part of his family, whether he likes it or not. Initially the young man had difficulty accepting it (rightly so), but with Jotaro’s help, while facing Kira, he became very attached to his father, trying to protect him from any threat that wanted to kill him. The Joester family is increasingly united.
Vento Aureo: the genesis of God | Anime Breakfast: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Now let’s talk about the other side of the coin: Dio Brando’s family. The protagonist of the fifth part is Giovanna day, son of Dio Brando. We are in Italy, in Naples, in the early 2000s. Giorno has the dream of becoming a Gangstar (a play on words between gangster and star). He joins a group of Camorra members called Passione, led by Bruno Bucciarati, who has the dream of becoming a Camorra boss to stop drug trafficking on the streets of Naples. The other members of the group are Fugo Pannacotta, Leone Abbacchio, Narancio Ghirga and Guido Mista, all stand bearers. The group receives orders to recover the leader’s daughter, Trish Unaand to bring her to him in Venice.
Dio Brando is missing once again, because the villain of this story is the boss of Giorno’s group, who in reality tries to kill his daughter, the only one who knows his secrets and therefore the only one capable of revealing his weaknesses. The boss, who takes the name of Devil, actually has a secret identity, which the group will discover thanks to Trish’s guidance. The protagonists will travel throughout Italy to stop Diavolo’s plan to take over the Arrow which gives new powers to Stand users. It can be said that Golden Wind is a kind of Stardust Crusaders 2.0, here too the story follows the trail of road movies and makes us bond with the characters and gives us many twists on the characters’ pasts, even if it doesn’t reach the levels of Stardust Crusaders,
Stone Ocean: la fine? | Anime Breakfast: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
The sixth part of this great story, Stone Ocean, represents the end of an era and the beginning of a new one (we want you to discover why by watching the episodes). Here we have our first female protagonist, Jolyne Kujodaughter of Jotaro Kujo. Jolyne finds herself in prison after being framed for a murder and Jotaro goes to visit the girl to warn her: an ally of Dio Brando wants to kill her and is trying to break her out. His plan is stopped when a Stand, Whitesnake captures Jotaro’s memories and Stand in a disk, leaving him in a state of apparent death. Jolyne will therefore have to save her father by trying to stop the bearer of Whitesnake, father Enrico Pucci. She will be helped by a boy born in prison, Emporio, Ermes Castilloan inmate seeking revenge against her sister’s killer, Foo Fightersa mass of plankton, Weather Reportcapable of controlling atmospheric phenomena and Narciso Anasuiwho will feel an unrequited love for Jolyne.
This is a story of revenge, because in addition to saving her father, Jolyne will also try to understand why she was framed and he will seek revenge against those who did…